Sparrow A Contemporary Funeral Home Inc — Local services in New York

When our mother passed away in early November after a 2.5 month battle with cancer, my brother and I were devastated. We had been by her side every step of the way, and the weight of grief was overwhelming. Though we planned to take a few days before making arrangements, I found myself searching for funeral homes that same night.

At first, the search was discouraging. In a city as stylish as NYC, I was shocked at the lack of tasteful funeral homes. Everything felt generic, outdated and impersonal. It was another emotional blow.

Determined to find something better, I discovered Sparrow, a contemporary funeral home in Brooklyn. Their beautifully designed space and commitment to personalized, top-tier service stood out. Though I hesitated due to location (most of our loved ones were in Uptown NYC), learning that Sparrow was featured in The New York Times as the only funeral home of its kind in the US convinced me we couldn’t pass it up.

The next morning, I reached out to Alexander, Sparrow’s funeral director.

From the start, Alexander was warm, knowledgeable and transparent. Unlike other funeral homes that push expensive add-ons, he genuinely guided me—even suggesting we reconsider our initial plan for a viewing (would’ve been more profitable for them) to ensure a more dignified experience for us.

When my husband, brother and I met with Alexander in person that week, what was meant to be a brief meeting turned into 4 hours of reflection, planning and heartfelt conversation.

On the day of the service, I expected to feel anxious, but instead, I felt at peace knowing Sparrow had everything covered.

The space was beautifully transformed: walls and tables were adorned with framed photos of our mom; a long table displayed her cherished keepsakes; and 2 lime citrus trees stood tall beside her bamboo casket (a nod to her love of limeade), surrounded by glowing candles.

Indigenous Peruvian music played softly, adding a deeply personal touch. A slideshow of photos played before the service, concluding with a beautifully edited video montage. Not a single technical issue arose thanks to the videographer and sound technician Sparrow hired.

The reception was just as flawless. My cousin oversaw the food, while Sparrow ensured everything was perfectly presented. Alexander even remembered our mom's love for Levain cookies and had them at the service—a thoughtful surprise that meant the world to us.

Guests who attended in person and even those who watched the livestream say it was the most thoughtful and unique service they have ever experienced—some even saying they want something like it when their time comes.

The next day, Alexander guided us through the cremation process. None of us had been through this before, but his support made all the difference. Instead of feeling lost, we felt a deep sense of trust and reassurance.

And Sparrow’s care didn’t stop there. Rather than leaving us to retrieve my mother’s 50+ framed photos and memorabilia, Alexander personally delivered everything to our doorstep, perfectly wrapped and organized.

Not once did we feel rushed or pressured by Sparrow. They encouraged us to take our time as we processed our loss. We weren’t able to pick up our mother’s ashes until January, for example, and it wasn’t at all a problem. Alexander, instead, took time to educate us on different options for her ashes, like turning them into pebbles or diamonds. We ultimately chose beautiful vessels handcrafted by local artists Sparrow has partnered with.

Fulfilling our mom’s final wish, we plan to scatter part of her ashes over the Pacific Ocean in Lima, Peru. Once again, Alexander has offered to guide us through the process for transporting ashes abroad when we’re set to travel there.

There is truly nothing negative to say about our experience. We wholeheartedly vouch for Sparrow when it comes to providing the highest level of care and service during one of life’s most difficult experiences. If you’re in the tri-state area, look no further than Sparrow to honor your loved one with style,...

Definitely not the type of review I’d ever think I’d write, which is why it’s taken over a year for me to finally sit with myself and write it. In November 2022, I lost my stepfather to esophageal cancer. I’d visited the traditional funeral homes in our area (The Bronx) and they all shared the common gloomy, yellow, outdated atmosphere. One place even had the price list displayed at the front desk, as if you were walking into a store, add in the monotonous greeting from the administrative person- it was awful. Luckily, my better half did some digging and found Sparrow. She had reached out and we were invited to pay them a visit to see their facility. We trekked out to Brooklyn with little expectation and low and behold we were warmly greeted and welcomed by Alexander. He greeted us softly and warmly with a big hug and a smile, then proceeded to show us their venue. It was so beautiful, it smelled clean and fresh, like incense. We then discussed the services they’d be able to provide. My dad was a simple man, and due to his terminal illness had made it appoint that he didn’t want a public viewing. Alexander said he’d be able to make it happen. He asked a lot of questions about my dad, and continued to refer to him by name- Kevin, throughout all of our encounters. I told him about his character and the music he liked. Alexander then stated he would personally be picking him up from Calvary hospice (in the Bronx) and driving him back to Sparrow. He allowed me to share his Spotify playlist, which he’d offer to play during my private viewing once he’d been picked up and groomed and told me that we could select whatever outfit we wanted for his viewing and cremation- to which we chose a pair of jeans and a black Tshirt with a giant skull and flames, in true biker fashion, as my dad would have opted for. On the scheduled day of his viewing, we walked into the facility once again, pristine clean, and comforting aromas, with his playlist playing through the speakers, filling the lobby and with the sounds of 70s rock. He led us to the open area, with a glass double door ahead, and told me to enter when ready. I walked in alone, as my mom and stepbrother chose not to view him out of grief, and my wife chose to allow me time with him first. When I walked in, the room was lined with candles, dimly lit but somehow bright, with two chairs in front of his holding casket. It was the most beautiful room, they cleaned him up so well and made him look like he did before he’d gotten sick. His face was filled, no longer sunken in and color was somehow brought back to his skin. There he was, Skull Tshirt and a bandana wrapped around his neck, as if he was just taking a nap after a long ride on his Harley. They allowed us, what seemed like - all the time in the world to sit with him. I am so beyond grateful for Sparrow and Alexander, who not only treated us so professionally but also made it appoint to treat the situation with class and tact- they treated him and us with dignity, and for that I will forever be grateful. Death is a hard process to accept, but it’s something we will all deal with, loss of others and others will one day lose us- but as all industries in the world change, the funeral “business” seems to be resistant of change- I’m grateful that Sparrow understands that not everyone mourns and grieves the same way. Not everyone wants to be forced to use a moldy old and outdated funeral home to attend to their loved ones. I’m glad that they are changing the look and feel of traditional funeral homes and that they remember that although it is a business, it is an emotional time for them customers, which they never once overlooked, even during time of payment- to which I might add was very very affordable for the services we received.

I never imagined I’d be so happy about with the services provided by a funeral home. I wish them the success to be able to expand to different areas, as we all deserve to have this type of care and experience after losing a...

From the moment we walked into Sparrow: A Contemporary Funeral Home, Inc., and met with Director Alexander Agard, we knew that we needed to look no further for the designated funeral home to prepare our brother’s body and his service for our final farewell to him. The ambience and space in this funeral home is totally different than that of a traditional funeral home… it is pleasantly light, attractive and uniquely serene. From their promptly picking up of my brother’s body during a weekend day, and out-of-state, to the total arrangements and coordination of all of the details pertaining to our wishes for our brother’s final farewell, the professionalism demonstrated by the staff at this, Sparrow Funeral Home, was quite impressive. As a physician, I fully appreciated their dedication and passionate commitment to delivering excellent service to their clients, whom they treat as extended family members. My brother’s situation involved inter-family conflicts which required going to court and Director Alexander and the entire staff, under his leadership, were steadfast in their resolve to guide us and to reassure us that they would follow and comply with the laws to help us fulfill our brother’s final wishes. Both Director Alexander and the staff knew when we needed assistance outside of their scope and were able to help to put us in contact with those that were able to assist us. Director Alexander Agard worked tirelessly to fulfill various datelines as my brother’s body was held, pending court’s decisions. Director Alexander proved to be knowledgeable, informative, trustworthy, approachable and a good listener, understanding, patient, and supportive. Both my brother’s body and all of our family members were treated with the utmost care and respect. Director Alexander always reassured us that everything would work out fine in the end and he was ABSOLUTELY right. Our family will be forever grateful because, in spite of all of the difficulties that had to be dealt with, in the end, Director Alexander Agard and his staff helped us planned and carried out a most beautiful, dignified, and loving celebratory farewell service which appropriately honored my brother.

For that time in all of our lives when we need to deal with people that truly know their business and will actually care for you AND your loved ones with compassion, I recommend this one-of-a-kind funeral home with absolutely no reservations...